Stun
Guns
– 13 stun guns were discovered this week in carry-on bags around the
nation. Two were discovered at Las Vegas (LAS), two at Salt Lake City (SLC), two
at Denver (DEN), two more at Detroit (DTW), and the remainder at Boise (BOI), Denver
(DEN), Kansas City (MCI), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Palm Beach (PBI), and San
Francisco (SFO).

Knife Concealed in Pillow (MAF), Belt Buckle Knife (FLL)

Items in the Strangest Places –It’s important to
examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure no prohibited items are inside.
If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag, you could be cited and quite
possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this
week where prohibited items were found in strange places.

A
knife was discovered inside a passenger’s pillow at Midland (MAF).

A
belt buckle knife was discovered after a passenger walked through the metal
detector at Fort Lauderdale (FLL).

A
one-inch blade was detected concealed within a shoe at Spokane (GEG).

What Not to Say at an Airport – Statements like
these not only delay the people who said them but can also inconvenience many
other passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:

A
passenger at Lubbock (LBB) approached checked baggage screening, dropped off his bag and stated, “There are two pounds of C-4 in there, be careful...” He
later stated it was an “off-handed comment.” His off-handed comment resulted in
his arrest and the closure of the terminal for over two hours while the bomb
squad ensured the airport was safe for travel.

Unfortunately
these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about
these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are
finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the
throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up
with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. The passenger can face a
penalty as high as $7,500.00. This is a friendly reminder to please
leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an
individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law
enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had
these items.

*In
order to provide a timely weekly update, I compile my data from a preliminary
report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly (increase) from what I report
in the weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear, or end-of-year numbers
TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will not be estimates.

54 comments:

Anonymous
said...

The "stun guns" that are shown on this post resemble cell phones. Are they in fact working cell phones? Were these confiscated at the checkpoints? If so were the owners able to get them returned after their travel was complete or did they lose them permanently?

You blog is titled "TSA Week in Review: 38 Firearms Discovered this Week (30 Loaded)". This title implies that only guns were found. You blog discussed fireworks (explosives) and knives. Any illegal drugs or other illegal items?

The title is inflamatory and biased against legal and law abiding gun owners. The title should have been about illegal items, not just one type of the items conficated.

I want to forward a message that I get from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on a weekly basis. They, the TSA and the current administration, wish us to believe that the only trouble experienced by TSA is illegal guns which have to be confiscated. I guess by omission in the title they want us to believe there are no attempts to take any illegal knives, drugs, or other illegal items onboard aircraft, just an inflammatory title.

This is not a clear picture and is biased against legal and law abiding gun owners.

I just can't help but shake my head when I read your weekly blogs. Every week you report 30-plus handguns found in carryon, many loaded and chambered. No matter how closely, or loosely, each state regulates firearms, everyone in every state is prohibited from bringing any firearm on board in carryons. The vast majority of the traveling public do seem to get it, but the proverbial few who don't pose a continuing problem, and a potential danger to the rest of us travelers. We need to get these few people's attention before TSA needs to screen their carryons. I would suggest posting an attention-getting sign where IDs and boarding passes are inspected, advising people of prohibited items and warning that such will be confiscated and destroyed if found in subsequent TSA screening. At least you give these careless travelers fair warning and opportunity to not proceed with boarding attempt. If such action can pass legal muster, maybe we can all breathe easier.

So TSA found 38 firearms and other various items in a weeks time. So big deal, what with there being about 11.2 million air travelers each week. The percentage of these items per traveler is such a low percentage as to not really justify $8 Billion taxpayer dollars each year to fund TSA.

The screening job could be completed cheaper and just as effectively by free market workers, not overpaid, over compensated, over entitled government employees.

Funding for transportation security should not be born by taxpayers but only by users of the transportation systems.

Airport security functions should be the responsibility of the airlines. It is their property and their customers that are being safeguarded and who better to do that than the owners of that property?

Airport security screening should have never been a government function and was a horrible mistake making it so.

TSA has so abused the public's trust that I believe senior TSA officials should be prosecuted for crimes against the nation.

Strip Searches, abuse of children, elder abuse, mental and physical abuse of challenged persons, and many more objectionable acts by TSA screeners have shown that TSA and its employees can never be trusted by the public and clearly calls for immediate corrections and removal of government employees in our airports and other transportation centers.

TSA is a failure.

TSA employees have failed to act responsibly.

Screen shot made. Text above fully complies with the illegal TSA posting guidelines that violate the Free Speech clause of the United States Constitution as amended.

All acts of censorship by TSA and it's blog team will be reported to DHS OIG as a civil rights violation.

I think anabell has a valid point. I have been receiving these releases from the TSA for over two years now and they never ever mention contraband seized that is not related to weapons or weapon appearing items. How about all that other prohibited stuff? Counterfeit currency, stolen secrets, drugs, human trafficking, war criminals, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

You do not speak for me, you do not speak for RB, you do not speak for Wintermute, you do not speak for other anonymous posters, and you do not speak for all those who are abused by the TSA every single day or for those who are abused by the TSA each and every time they travel all because they are disabled in some manner.

"I speak for all Americans when I say thank you for keeping our skies safe."

You certainly do not speak for this American! TSA has NEVER provided any proof that the billions of taxpayer dollars it spends has improved flyer safety even a miniscule amount. I thought TSA might have done so when it promulgated the regulations.gov Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on its use of whole body scanners, but the NPRM contained nothing to quantify the benefits of that technology or any TSA program. As an American taxpayer, I demand to see a cost-benefit assessment of whole body scanners and any other technology or program that TSA proposes to implement.

"... closure of the (LBB) terminal for over two hours while the bomb squad ensured the airport was safe for travel."

I say in jest, since the C-4 was in the handbag, why did they have to close the terminal?

Rebuttal, naturally, is there was no C-4.

What I seriously would like to know is WHY close the terminal and ultimately cost everyone so much time and money? I would challange the TSA agent, and up the chain of command, for either allowing or recommending the closure.

Seriously, the exhibition of power justifies a transfer to some other job position IMO. The was not a case of "unknown person with bag disappearing in unauthorized passage way."

"How about all that other prohibited stuff? [. . .] ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS."

Can't speak with certainty on some of the other items you brought up but TSA used to make a very big deal about the number of people they caught with fake identification. It would appear that most if not all of them were illegal immigrants. There appears to have been political pressure on TSA to stop reporting that in the weekly blog. You could argue that is an assumption I'm making but it was a regular weekly item that was quietly dropped. Given how many people failed to get the memo from 1972 that handguns aren't allowed in carry on bags subject to search I doubt people stopped flying with fake ID's.

I would like to commend the TSA on a job well done. I travel quite a bit and go through many airports. The majority of TSA agents I come across are mostly friendly. If I do come across a TSA agent that isn't "as friendly" I suppose they are having a bad day.......like we all do :)

I appreciate your weekly blog, and the humor that is imposed in the right spots. This makes the TSA more approachable in my opinion. I know why the TSA wants me to put my shoes in the bins; I know why they want me to takes my electronics out; I know why they want me to put my hands in the air and spread my legs when I go through security. And if they need to pull me aside and do a search, I know why they do that.....it's usually because I HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING ! For those who have had bad experiences, think back to what YOU did to cause the disruption....usually it is something we did as passengers and not the TSA causing anguish !

"Screen shot made. Text above fully complies with the illegal TSA posting guidelines that violate the Free Speech clause of the United States Constitution as amended.

All acts of censorship by TSA and it's blog team will be reported to DHS OIG as a civil rights violation.

Posted 7/13/13.

July 13, 2013 at 9:18 AM"----------------------And.....?What purpose does this serve? If it's posted, its useless since the post was seen. If its not posted, no one knows you have this on there.Do you just like typing meaningless phrases?

Funny how quickly a TSAnonymous' repetitious, simpering cheers get approved, but other comments that actually follow comment rules sit in limbo, never seeing the light of day on this public government website.

The reason there haven't been any terrorist attacks on airplanes isn't because of the TSA. It's because terrorists don't need to attack planes anymore. Look at all the money that has been spent, time wasted, and innocent travelers harassed since 9/11. Two things happened that will prevent another 9/11. They are hardening the cockpit doors and passengers will no longer sit back and cooperate with terrorists. If there really was a terrorist threat, one could blow up their bomb at a crowded airport checkpoint and basically accomplish the same thing as blowing up a plane.

Confiscating water bottles and making people take off their shoes is not making us safer. The rest of the world no longer requires shoe removal and their flights are safe. Even if the shoe bomber and underwear bomber were successful, you still would be far more likely to die driving to the airport than on a plane.

"Screen shot made. Text above fully complies with the illegal TSA posting guidelines that violate the Free Speech clause of the United States Constitution as amended.

All acts of censorship by TSA and it's blog team will be reported to DHS OIG as a civil rights violation.

Posted 7/13/13.

July 13, 2013 at 9:18 AM"----------------------And.....?What purpose does this serve? If it's posted, its useless since the post was seen. If its not posted, no one knows you have this on there.Do you just like typing meaningless phrases?

July 16, 2013 at 6:34 PM................

The TSA Blog Team knows.

The purpose is to make sure the TSA Blog Team is advised that any violation of my civil rights will not be tolerated. Since this is a moderated blog some member of the blog team makes a call on whether and item is posted or not. The OIG may not do a thing but after 100's of similar complaints are received they might just wake up to what is going on here.

Taxpayers monies being used by government to silence voices they don't like. Not to mention the file full of items that are available to other groups like the ACLU who may inquire of the DHS OIG why TSA is continuing in blatant Civil Rights violations.

TSA employees took an Oath to Defend the United States Constitution and what is being done here with the censorship demonstrates a violation of their Oaths and should result in removal from federal service of all involved TSA employees.

Why are comments that do not follow policy by attacking other commenters being allowed?

I'd quote the actual Comment Policy, but the link in the sentence, "Please read the complete Comment Policy" takes one to http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-social-media-directory where there are absolutely no policies listed.

Oh, and Angie? I'm glad the only time you are felt up by TSA screeners is when you've "FORGOTTEN SOMETHING." :)

Other people who have FORGOTTEN NOTHING (emphasis yours) have been mistreated, harassed, and molested by the TSA. Also, blaming the victim, even with cute little smileys, is beyond sad. :(

Also, Angie, since TSA screeners who always say they have to do something reprehensible because it's "SOP" strangely are able to "randomize their behavior." In other words, they use SOP as an excuse while doing whatever the hell they want. :(

So, with the ever changing "rules" TSA screeners play with, there is no way for every passenger to avoid being accused of "FORGETTING SOMETHING" when the previous ten times, screeners had no problem with that item. :(

All well and good for normal times. These are not normal times and the privilege of rights bestowed upon the population has to be able to fight the terrorist onslaught. If only the regulations were tighter the bombing in Boston could have been prevented.

All well and good for normal times. These are not normal times and the privilege of rights bestowed upon the population has to be able to fight the terrorist onslaught. If only the regulations were tighter the bombing in Boston could have been prevented.

July 17, 2013 at 4:57 PM

.......................

How misguided can one be?

I may have used the wrong form of hear in an ealier post but you have shown that you have no concept of rights or of being ruled.

Rights are not bestowed upon the population. If something must be bestowed it is certainly not a right. Not understanding this concept demonstrates a failure of education.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness"

"Don't you here (sic) me now?"All well and good for normal times. These are not normal times and the privilege of rights bestowed upon the population has to be able to fight the terrorist onslaught. If only the regulations were tighter the bombing in Boston could have been prevented."

------------

One of the creepiest and most repressive comments ever on this blog. I pray to God you don't work for the TSA or have any actual power.

Looks like someone got busted. For the first time (and perhaps the last time) I actually will applaud TSA for removing the posts of people who were actively taunting other users and infringing on our rights to free speech by attempting a "heckler's veto." Legitimate posts concerning policy and procedure remain. Now I wish TSA would extend the same RIGHTS to people at airport checkpoints.

I have rights, but the TSA ignores them...Free speech and expression at the checkpoint (see Aaron Tobey), freedom of movement/travel ("Do you want to fly today?") freedom of the press (see YouTube and Photography Is Not a Crime), equal protection (see disabled individuals being treated as criminals simply because we can't do everything TSA wants us to do, as quickly as TSA wants...)

I just love how people are claiming their "rights" are being violated. Despite what these people believe, flying is not a right and neither is being allowed through security at an airport. Being allowed to fly is a privilege earned by paying for a ticket and agreeing to go through security. If you don't like going through security then find a different means of transportation. Now I know that that isn't practical for most people but it is the truth. You have no "right" to fly, that is a choice made by the traveler with the full knowledge that they will have to go through security. I am not saying that security could not be made easier or done better but stop using the "rights" argument because that is not valid.

I just love how people are claiming their "rights" are being violated. Despite what these people believe, flying is not a right and neither is being allowed through security at an airport....blah blah blah...